


Knight Captain in Training

by Inuy21



Series: Starkhaven's Finest [21]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Established Relationship, Evelyn is exhausted and cranky, F/M, Gen, Kid Fic, Rylen has fun poking, The Western Approach, raising a kid in the desert may not have been the smartest idea, toddlers are the worst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-03
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:08:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27360079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inuy21/pseuds/Inuy21
Summary: When Anthony goes missing yet again, Evelyn must track him down and find a way to secure his behavior for the rest of the day--which involves finding Rylen and sword fighting
Relationships: Rylen (Dragon Age)/Original Female Character(s), Rylen/Female Trevelyan (Dragon Age), Rylen/Trevelyan (Dragon Age)
Series: Starkhaven's Finest [21]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1232885
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	Knight Captain in Training

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, look Jo! I posted it before your birthday :P   
> Happy Birthday!

“Anthony!” Evelyn called, tromping through Griffon Wing on a mission to locate her missing two-year-old son. “Maker, I swear, when Rylen gets back,” she grumbled keeping her eyes and ears open for any signs of the trouble making toddler. 

He couldn’t have gone too far, Evelyn knew that much. The soldiers in the Keep were trained professionals and were sure to spot and keep him from getting into too much trouble or through the blasted gates. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, calming her temper and the horrible thoughts brewing in her mind. 

“Woah there, pup.”

Evelyn stopped in her tracks, head whipping around to figure out which direction it came from. When she spotted a group of soldiers in a huddle all laughing and cheering, she breathed a sigh of relief. 

“Little brat,” she muttered, massaging her forehead and heading in that direction. “Troops,” Evelyn barked, catching all but one soldier’s attention. 

She watched the man fall to the ground, clutching his armored belly. “Trevelyan,” he gasped as if in tremendous pain as he reached for her. “Your pup has felled me in one swing.” 

Anthony stood triumphant, a giant grin plastered—that was all Rylen—on his reddened face. Evelyn crossed her arms, brows narrowing as fury and relief displaced anxiety. The handful of soldiers that had stopped to watch the show dispersed as she marched closer to the scene. The man on the ground, however, groaned and begged for mercy. 

“Mama, I kill!” The little wooden sword Rylen had crafted was pointed at the Fereldan still clinging to life at her feet. 

“Oh, aye, I see that, brave warrior,” she kept her tone light, despite the instinct to yell, curse, and perhaps cry. “Is this the reason you took off running when I told you not to?” 

The little boy nodded his head, unruly locks of dark curls bouncing with the motion. “I protect.” 

Evelyn toed the man’s armor. “You did,” she agreed, moving past the dying soldier to squat next to her son. “I’m very proud of you, but you can’t just take off like that,” she reprimanded lightly, pulling the boy into a hug and fending off tears. 

Sweaty little palms landed on her cheeks, the wooden sword whacking against her head. “Mama no scared,” Anthony told her, pressing a kiss to her nose. “I play.” 

Pulling the boy closer against her, Evelyn buried her head against his neck making him giggle. “I know, baby, but you still have to wait for me. What if you got hurt or lost?” 

Anthony squirmed until she loosened her hold. “No,” he pouted, showing Evelyn his sword. “Play!” Anthony waved the sword at the man now motionless on the ground as if to prove that playing and protecting were the same thing. 

Evelyn eyed the soldier, wondering if he had used this as an excuse to ignore his duties around the Keep. She should bark at him to get back to work, but how could she when she was losing her child on an almost daily basis! It wasn’t in her to yell at the soldiers and recruits who caught Anthony from getting into danger before she could find him and most of them knew that by now it seemed. 

“I know you just want to play,” Evelyn said, hands coming up to hold his arms, “but I have to be able to see you.” 

“Mama find me,” he said with a grin, as if everything was one big game. 

Evelyn let out a heavy sigh, head hanging in defeat. He was only a child and how many times had they already had this conversation? Too many by Evelyn’s count, but still not enough for Anthony to understand. Maker this child was going to make her insane! She was having no more of them! 

Her hands slipped under Anthony’s armpits, hoisting the giggling child onto her hip before turning to nudge at the soldier. “Back to work, you’ve had a long enough break.” 

The soldier popped up, a gauntleted hand ruffling Anthony’s loose curls. “Keep up the good work, pup.” Brown eyes gave Evelyn a quick glance. “Though maybe next time wait for your ma.” 

Evelyn was torn between laughing or scowling, unsure if the soldier was being sympathetic or just sucking up. She offered the man a polite smile before shooing him off. She was getting too soft, though she was no longer Rylen’s lieutenant so what did it matter? When the little sword beat against her arm with Anthony’s wave goodbye, Evelyn winced back to reality. 

“Why don’t we go find Papa?” she asked excitedly, adjusting the boy’s weight so she caught his attention and stopped the bruising bite of his sword. 

“Bobo!” he shouted, wiggling happily in his mother’s arm. His sword raised to the sky as he yelled, “Find!” 

Evelyn chuckled, looking forward to unleashing Anthony’s chaos upon someone who deserved it. “Yes, to Bobo. Where do you think he is?” 

The toddler quieted, thinking. His face scrunched until grey eyes focused on the sword. “Fight!” He shoved the toy in her face causing Evelyn to laugh and bat it away before he whacked it with greater strength. 

“You think?” Evelyn asked while Anthony nodded, the look on his face said he would be right. “Then off we go to the training grounds.” 

The journey wasn’t far, but with a squirming toddler trying to free himself and a wooden sword in one hand narrowly missing her head it made the short distance feel much longer. Evelyn was sweating by the time they reached the training area, but she welcomed the sight that Anthony had been right. They found Rylen pacing in front of a handful of recruits, hands on the pommel of his sword and his eyes steady on whichever person he walked by while giving his briefing. 

Anthony thrashed, determined to get out of Evelyn’s arms now that Rylen could be seen. The sword coming dangerously close to hitting her face. She bent and placed the boy on the ground, swatting at his butt in reprimand as he took off toward his father. 

“Bobo!” he shouted excitedly, catching the recruits’ attention but not Rylen’s. 

Evelyn didn’t miss the tiniest of smiles that appeared and lingered on Rylen’s lips as Anthony tottered forward. She waited for the boy to fall on his face…or on the sword that was throwing him off balance, but he made it safely to his father’s side. He tugged at the cloth hanging from Rylen’s armor but was shaken off when Rylen kept moving. Anthony giggled, falling on his butt in Rylen’s shadow. 

The recruits snickered then sobered when Rylen stopped in his tracks and glared at the row of soldiers. Anthony popped up, sword forgotten, and went to cling at his father’s leg. A large hand landed in the boy’s hair, ruffling the soft curls causing Anthony to giggle harder and fight the hold as Rylen continued his speech. Evelyn stood back, a smirk on her face and laughter crawling up her throat even though Rylen seemed suited to the small distraction. She needed the break and seeing Rylen struggle with their son satisfied her every time. 

“Bobo,” Anthony whined and giggled, still trying to escape Rylen’s single hand. “Stop!” 

Rylen dismissed the recruits and scooped up his son. “It’s ‘Boban’, Ant,” he corrected the boy. 

“Me Ant!” The boy pointed a finger at his chest. “You Bobo.” The finger poked at Rylen’s nose as Anthony grinned. 

“Och,” Rylen growled, setting his boy to giggling again. 

“I told you he can’t pronounce Boban yet, Ry,” Evelyn said as she came to stand by the two. “I don’t know why you can’t just let him call you Papa.” 

She bent to pick up the sword before it was forgotten and her son threw a screaming fit over losing it again. When Anthony saw the toy, he wriggled and pushed until Rylen set him down and Evelyn put the sword into outstretched hands. 

Rylen shrugged and sighed. “Just thought he should know how to speak Starker, too.”

Evelyn huffed a laugh. “Instead you’ve got a new nickname on your hands, Bobo,” she teased just as Rylen grabbed her chin. She took a step forward, eyes glimmering with laughter and challenge. 

“Aye, laugh it up now. Just wait until I get you alone, brat,” Rylen purred leaning in for a kiss. 

A shiver ran up her spine at the promise in his words and the press of lips. How long had it been since they’d been alone? Since Anthony had been born those times were few and far between. It was almost like they were back in Starkhaven, finding a darkened corner or some closet to have a quick tryst while their son was napping or being watched by a group of recruits. 

“OI!”

The shout had them pulling apart, looking toward the voice to find a struggling Anthony held tight to an armored chest. 

“Ant,” Evelyn sighed, rubbing at her forehead and going to retrieve the toddler who was about to start screaming. His face was bright red as he let out little grunts. “You need to learn to stay out of trouble,” she scolded, holding out her arms and taking the fussing toddler from the soldier. 

“Mama,” he whined, sniffed, rubbing at his eyes, “wanna fight.” Anthony pointed his sword toward the training recruits that he had been headed toward. 

“You already killed one foe today,” she told him, wiping a hand over his crinkling face praying he wouldn’t burst into tears. 

Rylen stepped up behind them, pressing a kiss to Anthony’s forehead. “Why don’t you take a nap then maybe the practice ring will be empty,” Rylen suggested, grinning at the boy but only making it worse. 

“No nap!” the boy wailed, the sword in his hand waving dangerously again until Evelyn caught it. “Bobo fight, Ant fight.” He butted his head against Evelyn’s shoulder. “Please, Mama.” 

Evelyn gave Rylen a ‘you see what I have to put up with?’ face as she soothed a hand down Anthony’s back. “Boban has to make sure our soldiers are trained and ready for danger, Ant.” 

Rylen moved in front of them, motioning for Evelyn to hand the boy over. There was a little bit of struggle before Anthony realized he was going to his father. “Do you want to help Boban?” When the boy nodded, an arm rubbing at his sniffling nose, Rylen stated, “You have to be a good recruit. You can’t run into danger and you have to do as your told.”

Maker this was going to kill her, Evelyn was sure of it. She watched Anthony perk up, a grin taking up half his face as he nodded more vigorously. What was one more trip to the medical tent? How Anthony wasn’t covered in scars already was a miracle. 

“Ry,” she half-growled, gaining the man’s attention. “He’s not supposed to…”

She was cut off with a kiss; one on her lips and a sloppy one to her cheek. Doomed, she was doomed for eternity with these two! 

“Do you want Mama to be your training partner?” Rylen asked, enthusiasm written all over his features as he bounced Anthony. 

“Mama, mama, mama,” the boy chanted as little hands grabbed at her. 

Evelyn rolled her eyes toward the sky as a smile twitched to life. She fixed her gaze on Anthony, saying, “We have to stay on the sidelines, out of the way. No rushing after Boban or other recruits.” As if the boy would listen, but it was better than having him crying all afternoon. 

“I be good,” Anthony promised, looking for all the world like he meant it. There was no grinning or giggling, only furrowed brows and pursed lips as he nodded his head once. 

It was Rylen who cracked first, a choked laugh that stuck in his throat. “Aye, lad, you better be or else it’s nap time for you.” A finger poked the boy’s nose in warning. “So be on your best behavior, little warrior.” 

Anthony crossed his arms looking more serious than ever. “No nap. Be good,” he stated then squirmed in Rylen’s arm until he was lowered to the ground. “Mama.” He reached for Evelyn’s hand, tugging at the two fingers he grabbed hold of. “See, good.”

Evelyn almost lost the battle this time with her laughter. “I see, but you have to continue to be good, Ant,” she informed as the boy pulled at her until she moved. “Boban is busy and I think you’ve reached your limit on visits to the medical tent.” 

“That means no showing off,” Rylen said as he walked ahead of them, glancing back to look at Evelyn with a pointed stare before winking. 

She snorted. “That’s reserved for you because we can’t have the recruits thinking you’re the best of the best,” she countered before looking down at their son hoping he wasn’t listening. 

As the trio reached the outlining of the practice area, Rylen spun on his heels and kneeled to grab Anthony’s shoulders. “Be good. No running into the ring after Boban when you knock Mama on her butt.” The boy giggled, turning his head to look at his glaring mother as Rylen ruffled his hair and kissed his cheek. “If you do as you’re told and don’t get injured maybe you’ll get a treat tonight.” 

“Ry,” Evelyn groaned, running a hand over her face. Either way there was bound to be tears now, unless Rylen did have something special saved back for Anthony that he hadn’t told her about. She swatted at his head as he stood, leaning over their son to kiss her but she stepped back. “Stop promising things and spoiling him, I swear,” she grumbled. 

Rylen laughed and stepped around Anthony, a hand pinning the boy in place as his other cupped Evelyn’s cheek. The kiss was short and sweet, lingering promises that she tried to shove away as he pulled back. Rylen stepped away, his hand lifting from Anthony’s head. 

“You both behave until I’m through here.” This time Rylen looked down at his son, chucking the boy’s chin up. 

Anthony nodded. “Aye,” he replied, standing at attention like a good soldier would. 

“Good, now get to training,” Rylen ordered before turning his back and headed where he was needed. 

Evelyn was still caught off guard by her son’s display, but when she felt a tug and Anthony call to her, she smiled. How much he was already growing despite his tantrums and finding trouble on a daily basis. He was eager to learn, at least how to fight which was why Rylen crafted the sword for him. Though she wondered if it was because he was surrounded by soldiers. If they moved somewhere quieter would he still want to learn? Evelyn shook her head, if Anthony was like her it wouldn’t matter where they were, he would have a blade in his hand if he could. 

“Mama,” he called out again. “Sword,” he demanded as he stopped and grabbed at the air in front of her. 

She shook her head, holding the sword just out of reach. “You have to ask nicely.” 

“Please, Mama.”

This time she handed over the sword, which Anthony took and swung with glee. She let him lunge about, keeping an eye on him until he jabbed the toy in her direction. 

“Fight!” he crowed, swinging the sword in an ungainly manner. 

Evelyn laughed, her hand catching the toy before Anthony hurt himself. “How about I teach you how to fight in a proper manner, befitting a true soldier.”

“Yes, yes, yes,” Anthony cheered, jumping with each word. 

“Alright, but you have to listen and watch,” she said, letting his sword go. “Can you do that and not get impatient and in trouble?”

“Promise,” he answered, standing at attention again letting his sword fall to his side. 

She almost laughed again but kept her lips pressed together into a smile. When the urge passed she replied, “Good, but if you whine and cry then no treat like Boban promised.”

Anthony nodded his head, curls bobbing with the quick movement. Evelyn was impressed when he kept quiet and ready for instructions. Perhaps the afternoon wouldn’t be so taxing after all.


End file.
